Sexual misconduct policies and administrator perceptions among 4-year colleges and universities in Georgia

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Following changes in federal regulations, the current study was an examination of differences in institutional responses to sexual violence among Georgia colleges and universities during 2013 and 2014. Participants: A total of 24 four-year institutions located in the state of Georgia were included. Method: Data were collected from various sources in phases from March 2013 to December 2015 and included institutional characteristics from each college website, a content analysis of college annual security reports and sexual misconduct policies, and a college administrator online survey. Results: Seventy percent of the institutions were deemed “Clery compliant” in 2013 but only 12%, in 2014. There was substantial variability in definitions used in sexual misconduct policies and with respect to the description of investigation and adjudication procedures. Conclusions: There is extensive variability in institutional responses to sexual violence across universities and colleges despite recent media attention and federal guidance.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual violence
• institutional response
• sexual assault
• Title IX

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Georgia State University.

Additional information

Funding

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control ID: CE002123.